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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 4, 28. Of the Wives of Chilperic
When King Chilperic saw this, although he already had several wives, he sent to demand her sister Galswinth, promising by the mouth of his envoys that he would forsake the others if only he were deemed worthy to receive a spouse befitting his rank and of blood royal. Her father believed his promises, and sent this daughter like the other with a rich dower to the king: Galswinth was the elder sister. When she was come to King Chilperic, he received her with great honour, and was joined to her in marriage, loving her dearly, for she had brought with her great treasures. But because of his passion for Fredegund, his former wife, a great quarrel arose between them. She had already been converted to the Catholic faith, and baptized. She soon made constant complaint to the king of the wrongs which she had to endure, declaring that she had no part in his royalty; she craved his permission to return in freedom to her own country, leaving behind her the treasures which she had brought with her. He cleverly dissembled, and appeased her with smooth words. At last he ordered her to be strangled by a slave, so that she was found dead in her bed. After her death God showed forth a great miracle. A lamp was suspended by a cord above her tomb, and without being touched of any, this lamp fell to the paved floor. But the hardness departed from the pavement before it. It was as if the lamp sank into some soft substance; it was buried up to the middle without being broken at all. Which thing appeared a great miracle to all who saw it. The king made mourning for her death; but after a few days took Fredegund again to wife. Thereupon his brothers cast him out from the kingdom, deeming that the aforesaid queen was not slain without his prompting. At that time Chilperic had three sons by Audovera, his first queen: Theudebert, of whom I have above spoken,1 Merovech, and Chlodovech. Let me now return to my task.
Notes
- Ch. 16 (23), above.